WO2018122021A1

WO2018122021A1 - Process for preparing a plant protein beverage

Info

Publication number: WO2018122021A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/083337
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yongcheng Liao; Zhongwei Sun; Li Zhao; Chaoran DOU; Christoph Hartmann
Original assignee: Nestec SA
Current assignee: Nestec SA
Priority date: 2016-12-26
Filing date: 2017-12-18
Publication date: 2018-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-26
Also published as: CN110087489A

Abstract

A process for preparing a beverage comprising a plant protein component is disclosed. Said process comprises the step of stirring a mixture comprising a plant protein component and water at a shearing rate equal to or greater than 43000 s^-1 and with a shearing loading equal to or greater than 15000. The plant protein beverages have improved stability and mouthfeel.

Description

PROCESS FOR PREPARING A PLANT PROTEIN BEVERAGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the present invention relates to a process for preparing a beverage and a beverage obtainable thereby. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a process for preparing a beverage comprising plant proteins and a beverage obtainable thereby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many types of beverages currently on the market. Beverages comprising a plant protein component (also called as plant protein beverages) are an example of beverages. Plant protein beverages are very popular due to their beneficial nutrition and appealing appearance. The market for such beverages is growing rapidly. A plant protein beverage should be shelf-stable during storage without phase separation, creaming, gelation and/or sedimentation and the like.

However, the addition of proteins, such as plant proteins, into liquid beverages generally leads to significant increase of the beverage viscosity which makes the beverage less appealing for consumption. The addition of plant proteins may also lead to physico-chemica l instability issues such as phase separation, protein sedimentation, fat creaming, or food particles precipitation. For the purpose of stabilizing the protein components and the whole beverage product, a general solution is to develop a stabilizing system for the beverage. Stabilizing systems use food additives such as emulsifier, stabilizers, buffers, or hydrocolloids. There exist many food additives, and each beverage composition requires the development of a specific stabilizer system, which can be highly time-consuming. Usually, stabilizing systems comprise hydrocolloids which also help to improve the mouthfeel.

However, consumers are becoming more and more reluctant towards food additives, despite the fact that they are generally recognized as safe. Indeed, consumers are increasingly health conscious, they are more concerned with what is in their food, how their food is made and where the ingredients come from. The growing demand for natural, additive-free food is changing the global food and drink industry. The current trend is that consumers are looking for beverages with less additives but without compromising product taste and texture. They are more interested in the products with short and clear ingredient lists. Peanuts are rich in proteins, oils, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and low in cholesterol. Peanuts are popular with consumers and some peanut dairy beverages already exist on the market. However, the development of a peanut dairy beverage with a short and clear ingredient list is rather difficult. Indeed, due to the variability of the protein and fat contents of peanuts, there is a higher risk of instability of peanut dairy beverages during shelf-life, even when a stabilizing system is used. Instability of peanuts during shelf-life may be linked to the high fat and protein content of peanuts. In addition, the peanut quality may vary over seasons, especially between production periods. Therefore, up to now, a rather common approach is to use several stabilizers, emulsifiers and hydrocolloids, in order to solve the stability issues encountered with peanut dairy beverages or other plant protein beverages. Removing hydrocolloids, stabilizers or emulsifiers, or reducing their amount in the final recipe, impacts the texture perception and the shelf life of the peanut dairy beverage and plant protein beverages. This is at odds with the consumers' wish on short label products.

WO 01/97629 relates to a process for preparing heat-stable insoluble denatured protein particles. The process comprises a step of heating undenatured protein particles at heat-denaturing temperatures, in an aqueous medium, at a pH within the upper half of the isoelectric curve of said undenatured protein particles, under the application of mechanical energy selected to promote the formation of proteinaceous particles having a mean diameter from about 0.1 microns to about 3.0 microns, with less than 5% of the total number of particles exceeding about 3.0 microns in diameter in a hydrated state. Said undenatured protein particles are selected from dairy protein, plant protein, animal protein and mixtures thereof.

CN 102845531 relates to a 2-step emulsification method for making a plant protein beverage. In this method, a pre-emulsification steps is performed by subjecting all the plant materials to high speed impact cutting and mixing at a single rotational speed with a high shear blender (maximum 720mL at 25000 rpm), followed with an emulsification step done by turbulent mixing.

Therefore, there is an ongoing need in the art for providing a beverage comprising plant proteins with good shelf stability and a short list of ingredients. Moreover, such beverage should be simple, economical and feasible in the large-scale production. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to improve the state of the art, and in particular to provide a process that overcomes the problems of the prior art and addresses the needs described above, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

The inventors were surprised to see that the object of the present invention could be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the idea of the present invention.

The present inventors have surprisingly found that, through applying high or ultra-high shear to a mixture comprising a plant protein component and water, a plant protein beverage can be obtained with improved mixing and emulsifying, improved breakage of plant particles, thus eventually leading to an improved shelf-stability. In addition, a plant protein beverage can be obtained with fewer ingredients.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the invention proposes a process for preparing a beverage comprising plant proteins, wherein said process comprises the step of stirring a mixture comprising a plant protein component and water at a shearing rate equal to or greater than 43000 s ¹ and with a shearing loading equal to or greater than 15000.

Another embodiment of the invention proposes a beverage obtainable by the above process.

A further embodiment of the present invention proposes a package comprising the beverage obtainable by the above process.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention proposes the use of high or ultrahigh shearing in a process for preparing a beverage comprising a plant protein component, wherein the shearing rate is equal to or greater than 43000 s ¹ and the shearing loading is equal to or greater than 15000.

For a complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention. It should be appreciated that various aspects of the present invention are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the present invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms, terms of art, and acronyms used herein have the meanings commonly understood by skilled artisan in the art in the field(s) of the invention, or in the field(s) where the term is used. Although any beverages, compositions, methods, articles of manufacture, or other means or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred beverages, compositions, methods, articles of manufacture, or other means or materials are described herein.

As used herein, "about" referring to a value is understood to include all the values in the range with +10% of deviation from the value.

As used herein, all the percentages are by weight (wt%) of the total weight of the beverage unless expressed otherwise. All ratios expressed herein are on a weight/weight (w/w) basis unless expressed otherwise.

As used herein, ranges are used herein in shorthand, so as to avoid having to list and describe each and every value within the range. Any appropriate value within the range can be selected, where appropriate, as the upper value, lower value, or the terminus of the range. Moreover, all numerical ranges herein should be understood to include all integer, whole or fractions, within the range.

The processes and beverages and other advances disclosed here are not limited to particular methodology, protocols, and reagents described herein because, as the skilled artisan will appreciate, they may vary. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to, and does not, limit the scope of that which is disclosed or claimed.

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a process for preparing a beverage comprising plant proteins, wherein said process comprises the step of stirring a mixture comprising a plant protein component and water, at a shearing rate equal to or greater than 43000 s ¹ and with a shearing loading equal to or greater than 15000. The shearing rate and the shearing loading are defined below.

In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a process described above, wherein said mixture further comprises a dairy protein component. In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a process described above, wherein said mixture further comprises a stabilizer. In a further embodiment, the mixture further comprises an emulsifier. In a further embodiment, the mixture further comprises a buffer. The mixture may comprise a stabilizer and an emulsifier, a stabilizer and a buffer, an emulsifier and a buffer. The mixture may also comprise a stabilizer, an emulsifier and a buffer.

Said process is implemented to improve the physical stability of the plant protein beverage.

In a further embodiment, the stirring is performed with a shearing rate of 43000 s ¹ to 100000 s^"1, preferably 45000 s ¹ to 90000 s^"1, more preferably 50000 s ¹ to 80000 s^"1, such as 45000 s ¹, 50000 s ¹, 55000 s ¹, 60000 s ¹, 65000 s ¹, 70000 s ¹, 75000 s ¹, 80000 s ¹, 85000 s ¹, 90000 s ¹, 95000 s ¹ or 100000 s ¹.

In a further embodiment, the stirring is performed with a shearing loading of 15000 to 300000, preferably 15000 to 250000, more preferably 60000 to 225000, such as 20000, 30000, 40000, 50000, 60000, 70000, 80000, 90000, 100000, 125000, 150000, 175000, 200000, 225000, 250000, 275000, or 300000.

In a further embodiment, the mixture is stirred at a shearing rate of 51000 s ¹ to 80000 s ¹ with a shearing loading of 60000 to 225000.

In a further embodiment, the process comprises the steps of:

(1) mixing a plant protein component with a dairy protein component in water, to yield a mixture; and

(2) Stirring the mixture obtained from step (1) at a shearing rate of 51000 s ¹ to 80000 s ^_1 with a shearing loading of 15000 to 225000, to produce an emulsified solution.

In a further embodiment, the dairy protein component is milk powder or liquid milk, such as skimmed milk powders and/or full milk powders.

In a further embodiment, the process comprises the step of dissolving milk powder in water to produce milk liquid.

In a further embodiment, in the step (1), a stabilizer and/or an emulsifier and/or a buffer are added to the mixture. The stabilizer, the emulsifier and the buffer may be in solid form or in the form of aqueous solution In a further embodiment, the process further comprises one or more of the following steps:

(3) dissolving sugar in water to produce a sugar solution, mixing the emulsified solution obtained from step (2) with the sugar solution, and stirring the resulting solution;

(4) homogenizing the solution obtained from step (3);

(5) sterilizing the solution obtained from step (4); and

(6) aseptically filling the solution obtained from step (5) into a container, or drying the solution obtained from step (5) to yield powder.

In a further embodiment, the stabilizer is selected from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), agar, acacia gum, alginic acid, carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, or any combination thereof, preferably carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), gellan gum or carrageenan, or any combination thereof. In a further embodiment, the emulsifier is selected from sodium caseinate, lecithin, Cio-Cis fatty acid, fatty acid glyceryl ester, sucrose ester of fatty acid, monoglyceride, diglyceride, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, glyceryl monostearate, soybean phospholipid, or any combination thereof, preferably sodium caseinate, glyceryl monostearate, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the stabilizer is selected from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), gellan gum or carrageenan, or any combination thereof; and the emulsifier is selected from sodium caseinate, glyceryl monostearate, or any combination thereof.

In a further embodiment, the stabilizer and/or emulsifier is in an amount of about 0 to 2 wt%, 0 to 1 wt%, 0.2 to 0.8 wt%, 0.2 to 0.4 wt%, or 0.4 to 0.6 wt% by weight of the beverage, such as 0.2 to 0.3 wt% or 0.4 to 0.5 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In a further embodiment, the buffer is selected from citrate, carbonate, bicarbonate, sorbate, gluconate, acetate, or phosphate, or any combination thereof, such as sodium salt, potassium salt, ammonium salt or calcium salt thereof. Preferably the buffer is selected from sodium citrate, trisodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium phosphate (mono-, di- or tribasic), sodium tripolyphosphate, ammonium phosphate (mono- or dibasic), calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium phosphate (mono- or dibasic), potassium citrate, potassium phosphate (mono- or dibasic), or any combination thereof, more preferably from sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, or any combination thereof.

In a further embodiment, the buffer is in an amount of about 0 to 0.3 wt%, 0 to 0.2 wt%, 0.01 to 0.2 wt%, 0.01 to 0.15 wt%, 0.01 to 0.1 wt%, 0.05 to 0.1 wt%, 0.1 to 0.2 wt%, or 0.1 to 0.15 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In a further embodiment, the plant protein component is derived from one or more plant material rich in protein, for example plant seeds or plant nuts, such as rice, oat, wheat, corn, lupin, pea, quinoa, canola, peanut, sunflower, pistache, walnut, almond, hazelnut, coco nut and the like. The plant protein component may also be derived from other plant material rich in protein such as microalgae or potato.

In a further embodiment, the plant protein component is in the form of particle, powder, paste, slurry or extract from one or more plant materials rich in protein such as those listed above, for example plant seed or nut.

In a further embodiment, the plant proteins are from one or several plants. Preferably the plant proteins are selected from cereal protein, e.g. proteins from rice, oat, wheat, or corn; bean protein, e.g. proteins from lupin or pea; plant protein isolate, e.g. from microalgae, quinoa, canola or potato; nut protein, e.g. proteins from peanut, pistache, walnut, almond, hazelnut; cocoa protein; or any combination thereof. More preferably the plant proteins are peanut protein or any combination of peanut protein with one or more other plant proteins described above.

In a further embodiment, the homogenization of step (4) is performed through one or two stages, including a first stage of 25-45 MPa/5-10M Pa, preferably 30MPa/6MPa, and optionally a second stage of 15-25 MPa/4-8M Pa, preferably 20MPa/5MPa.

In a further embodiment, the sterilization of step (5) is a ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment or a retort treatment. Preferably, the UHT treatment is performed at 130 to 140°C for 6 to 40 s. Preferably, the retort treatment is performed at 120 to 130°C for 10 to 30 min.

In a further embodiment, the container of step (6) is a bag, a can, a PET bottle or a pouch.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a beverage obtainable by the process according to any one of above embodiments. In a further embodiment, the beverage is in the form of a concentrate, a powder, or a liquid beverage, such as a ready-to-drink beverage.

In a further embodiment, the dairy protein component is in an amount of about 0 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.5 to 3.6 wt%, 2.0 to 10 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In a further embodiment, the plant protein is in an amount of about 0.1 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.55 to 3.6 wt%, 0.8 to 10 wt%, 2 to 15 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In a further embodiment, the beverage comprises sugars in an amount of from about 0.5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage, preferably 1.0 to 9.0 wt%, more preferably 1.0 to 7.0 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In a further embodiment, the beverage comprises fat in an amount up to 6.0 wt%, or about 2.0 wt% to 5.0 wt%, or about 2.0 wt% to 4.0 wt%, for example about 3.8 wt% or 3.5 wt% fat by weight of the beverage.

In a further embodiment, the beverage is a shelf-stable ready-to-drink beverage, wherein the beverage is stable for at least nine months at ambient temperature. Ambient temperature is about 20°C.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a package comprising the beverage as described above, wherein the beverage is provided as a liquid in one or more separate containers, or is provided in the form of a dry powder or a concentrate which can be reconstituted in water to yield a liquid beverage.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention provides the use of high or ultrahigh shearing in a process for preparing a beverage comprising plant proteins, wherein said process is defined as above and wherein said high or ultra-high shearing process is at a shearing rate equal to or greater than 43000 s ¹ with a shearing loading of 15000 to225000.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a stable beverage with low number of ingredients, in particular with a low number of food additives. The inventors surprisingly found that this objective is achieved through high shearing processing of a mixture comprising a plant protein component and water, at a shearing rate equal to or greater than 43000 s ¹ and with a shearing loading of 15000 to 225000. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that high shearing processing may change the structure of the proteins and fat dispersion so that the stability of the mixture is enhanced. Furthermore, the inventors surprisingly found that the types and/or amounts of stabilizer and/or emulsifier added into the beverage can be reduced, after the mixture comprising the plant protein component and water is subjected to high shearing processing.

In the context of the specification, "high shearing processing" or "high shearing process" means stirring the components of the beverage at higher shearing force or revolution rate. The revolution rate is specific to the stirring device. It might be different in different stirring devices. The stirrer rotation at this frequency of revolutions produces a certain deformation rate to the fluid, commonly known as shear and elongation rate, which in turn exerts mechanical stress on the liquid, commonly known as shear stress and normal stress. It is well known in the art that a stirring speed or revolution rate can be converted to shearing rate, for example, the unit "revolutions per minute (rpm)" corresponds to a shearing rate, depending on the different parameters of different equipments for stirring. It is to be noted that in the present invention, the shearing rate can be roughly calculated by the following formula using a classical rotor-stator model:

Shearing rate (s ¹) =n*D*N/(60*h)

where: N=revolutions per minute (rpm), D=diameter of rotor (m), and h=distance between rotor and stator (m)

The instruments or equipments used for said high shearing process can be those known in the art, such as Ross HSM 100, Silverson 4RT.

In the process of stirring, the shearing rate can range of 43000 s ¹ to 100000 s ¹, preferably 45000 s ¹ to 90000 s^"1, more preferably 50000 s ¹ to 80000 s^"1, such as 45000 s^"1, 50000 s ¹, 55000 s ¹, 60000 s ¹, 65000 s ¹, 70000 s ¹, 75000 s ¹, 80000 s ¹, 85000 s ¹, 90000 s ¹, 95000 s ¹ or 100000 s ¹.

The shearing time is also a factor influencing the physical property of the final product.

However, the inventors surprisingly found, when the shearing rate is low, increasing the shearing time is not enough to improve the physical stability of a plant protein beverage. In other words, only when the shearing rate is above certain lower limit value, does the increase of the shearing time have an effect on improvement of the physical stability of said beverage. Therefore, in order to consider the combined effect of shearing rate and shearing time, the inventors use the parameter "shearing loading" to further describe the condition of the process of the present invention. Shearing loading is defined as following:

Shearing loading = Ν*Δΐ/60

where: N=revolutions per minute (rpm) and Δΐ= shearing time (s).

Accordingly, stirring is performed with a shearing loading of 15000 to 300000, preferably 15000 to 250000, more preferably 60000 to 225000, such as 20000, 30000, 40000, 50000, 60000, 70000, 80000, 90000, 100000, 125000, 150000, 175000, 200000, 225000, 250000, 275000, or 300000.

However, although the shearing loading is obtained by multiplying shearing rate with shearing time, the time of said stirring generally will not exceed one hour, considering saving energy cost and time cost as well as avoiding the abrasion of machine system used. Therefore, a skilled person in the art can recognize that the shearing rate should not be unduly low, since a shearing time of more than one hour is not suitable for the practical use in the industry.

In a preferred embodiment, the mixture is stirred at shearing rate of 51000 s ¹ with shearing loading of 15000 to 225000, especially 60000 to 225000.

The homogenization can be performed by any suitable methods known in the art. For example, the homogenization is performed through one or two stages, including a first stage of 25-45 MPa/5-10M Pa, preferably 30MPa/6MPa, and optionally a second stage of 15- 25MPa/4-8MPa, preferably 20 M Pa/5 M Pa.

The instruments or equipments used for said homogenization can be those known in the art, such as: CIK, SPX, Raffaello.

The sterilization of the present invention can be performed by any suitable methods which are known in the art, such as ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment or retort treatment. For example, the UHT treatment can be performed at 125°C to 150°C, e.g., 130°C to 140°C for 6 to 40 s. The retort treatment can be performed at 120°C to 130°C for 10 to 30 min.

It is well known for a skilled person in the art to select suitable condition for aseptic filling. The container used for aseptic filling may be various containers which are conventionally used in the food industry, such as bag, can, PET bottle or pouch. The methods for drying the solution obtained from step (5) can be various methods known in the art. For example, spray-drying, freeze-drying or lyophilization can be used to remove the moisture of the solution and yield powder.

The beverage of the invention comprises a component containing plant proteins. Within the meaning of the invention, a plant protein component may be derived from any plant material, for example the plant material which is rich in plant protein and suitable for making a beverage. In an embodiment, the plant protein component may be derived from plant seeds or nuts, e.g., peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts or filberts, almonds nuts, badam nuts, cashew nut, pistachio nuts, pine nut or cedar nut, pecan, chestnut, kola nut, Brazil nut, coconut, melon seeds, lotus seeds, sesame seeds; sunflowers seeds; macadamia; fennel seeds; hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, or any combination thereof, but not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the plant material, e.g., plant seeds or nuts, is roasted.

In an embodiment, the plant protein may be seed protein, e.g., oilseed protein, or nut protein, including but not limited to those selected from the group consisting of soy protein, pea protein, canola protein, wheat and fractionated wheat proteins, corn proteins, zein proteins, rice proteins, oat proteins, potato proteins, peanut proteins, green pea powder, green bean powder, proteins derived from beans, lentils, and pulses, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the plant protein is nut protein, for example, protein from any edible nuts, or nut-like fruits, such as almond, badam; cashew, pistachio, kola nut, peanut, Brazil nut, coconut, chestnut, hazelnut or filbert, pine nut or cedar nut; pecan; walnut, sesame seeds; sunflowers seeds; macadamia; fennel seeds; hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing nuts. In an embodiment, the nut may be peanut, walnut, hazelnut, almond, cashew, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, Brazil nut, macadamia nut, coconut and cocoa, or mixtures of two or more nut types.

In an embodiment, the plant protein may be one plant protein, or a mixture of two or more plant proteins, preferably the plant protein is cereal protein, e.g. proteins from rice, oat, wheat, or corn, bean protein, e.g. proteins from lupin or pea, and protein isolate from plant, e.g. from microalgae, quinoa, canola or potato, or peanut protein, pistache protein, Walnut protein, almond protein, hazelnut protein, cocoa protein, or any combination thereof, more preferably the plant protein is peanut protein or any combination of peanut protein with one or more other plant proteins described above. The plant protein component may be obtained from any plant material by any common technique known by skilled artisan in the art. In an embodiment, the plant protein component is obtained primarily through physical processing, e.g., mincing, grinding, milling, pulverization or microparticulation. In another embodiment, the plant protein component is obtained by e.g. removing husk, skin or hide and other parts that are not normally eaten; mincing, grinding, milling, pulverization, or microparticulation; optionally separation, filtration centrifugation, ion exchange, and/or simple chemical reactions such as heat treatment (for example, roasted), acidification, basification, hydrolysis, or salt formation.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component may be obtained by subjecting the plant materials, such as nuts, e.g., peanuts, to microparticulation. The process for microparticulation of a plant material is known to skilled artisans in the art. In an embodiment, the dispersion of the nut material into the beverage of the invention results in nut particles sizes above 10 μιη, or even above 15 μιη, up to e.g. 250 μιη, the volume fraction being present between 20 and 200 μιη, and especially between 25 and 150 μιη. The particle size distribution, including the volume fraction of the beverage, can be measured and calculated using a Laser Particle Size Analyzer, e.g. a Coulter LS230.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component is obtained by micronizing plant materials, such as nuts, for example, peanuts. The process for micronization of a plant material is known to skilled artisans in the art.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component may be isolated plant protein(s) or any products comprising plant proteins. In another embodiment, the plant protein component may be in the form of powder, paste, slurry, particle, solution, suspension, or extract or the like.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component is slurry or paste derived from one or more nuts, for example, peanut or a mixture of peanut with one or more of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds nuts, badam nuts, cashew nut, pistachio nuts, cedar-nut, Chinese chestnut, melon seeds, lotus seeds. In another embodiment, the plant protein component is peanut paste, peanut slurry, or combination thereof.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component is derived from one or more plant materials rich in protein, for example plant seeds or plant nuts, such as rice, oat, wheat, corn, lupin, pea, microalgae, quinoa, canola, potato, peanut, sunflower, pistache, walnut, almond, hazelnut, coco nut and the like.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component is particle, powder, paste, slurry or extract from one or more plant materials rich in protein, for example plant seed or nut, such as rice, oat, wheat, corn, lupin, pea, microalgae, quinoa, canola, potato, peanut, sunflower, pistache, walnut, almond, hazelnut, coco nut and the like.

The amount of the plant protein component in the beverage may be determined by the skilled artisan in the art according to his knowledge in the art.

In an embodiment, the plant protein contained in the beverage is present in an amount of about 0.1 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.55 to 3.6 wt%, 0.8 to 10 wt%, 2 to 15 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In a preferred embodiment, the plant protein component is peanut paste, wherein the peanut protein in the beverage is in an amount of from about 0.1 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.55 to 3.6 wt%, 0.8 to 10 wt%, 2 to 15 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In an embodiment, the plant protein component comprises particles of a plant material, for example seed or nut material. In an embodiment, the particles of a plant materia l may be a microparticulated plant material. In an embodiment, it is preferred that the microparticulated plant material may comprise a volume average particle size (PDS) in the range from 0.05 μιη to 500 μιη, or 0.1 μιη to 500 μιη, 0.5 μιη to 300 μιη, 1 μιη to 500 μιη, 2 μιη to 300 μιη. It is further preferred that at least 75%, such as at least 85%, e.g. at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or more of the particles of the micro-pa rticulated plant material have a particle size in the range from 1 μιη to 150 μιη, 1 μιη to 130 μιη, 1 μιη to 120 μιη, or 1 μιη to 100 μιη (percent by volume), or below 50 μιη, for example below 30 μιη, or for example, in the range from 10 μιη to 50 μιη, or 20 μιη to 40 μιη, or 20 μιη to 30 μιη. The particle distribution size may be determined by a standard analytical method, e.g. using light scattering such as by using a Malvern light scattering instrument. This method is commonly used by people skilled in the art. The microparticulated plant material may be provided by subjecting a plant material to a process selected from the group consisting of milling, grinding and pulverization. In an embodiment, the plant material may be subjected to a heat treatment (e.g. roasted) prior to being microparticulated. In one embodiment, the particle size distribution according to the present invention can be achieved by grinding or milling the nut material prior to mixing it with the beverage base, and by homogenising after admixture. In general, a hammer mill, ball mill, roll mill, drum mill, colloid mill or disk or stone mill may be used for reducing the particle size of the nut material. Also extrusion processing may be used. Preferably, a stone mill (comprising rotating stone discs) is used. The specific configuration and operation mode of the mill depend on the type of nut material and the desired final particle size. These are adjusted so as to achieve sufficient reduction in particle size, without changing the flavour of the specific nut material.

US 5,079,027 (EP 381259) describes a process for producing peanut particles, which can be used for preparing the nut material according to the present invention. In one embodiment, peanut paste can be obtained by the methods known in the food arts in which raw peanuts are roasted, dry-blanched (and optionally partially defatted), and finely ground in a mill to create the peanut paste.

In one embodiment, in addition to the microparticulated plant material, the beverage may further comprise pieces of plant material having a size lower than or equal to 4x4x4mm and greater than or equal to 500 μιτι, for example, (2-3.5)mm x (2-3.5)mm x (2-3.5)mm, or 3mm x 3mm x 3mm. The amount of such pieces in the beverage may be 1 to 30 wt%, 2 to 20 wt%, 5 to 15 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage. In an embodiment, the pieces are nut pieces, for example, pieces of peanut, almond, walnut, pecan, cashew, or badam, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the pieces are pieces of peanut.

The beverage of the invention may further comprise a dairy protein component. In an embodiment, the dairy protein may be any dairy protein suitable for food and beverages. In an embodiment, the dairy protein may be selected from the group consisting of casein, casein hydrolysates, casemates, whey protein, whey hydrolysates, milk protein concentrate, milk protein isolate, or combinations thereof. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the present invention is not restricted to dairy proteins from bovine origin, but pertains to dairy proteins from other mammalian animal species, such as from sheep, goats, horses, and camels.

In an embodiment, the dairy protein component may be an isolated dairy protein(s). In another embodiment, the dairy protein component may be any type of dairy products suitable for food and beverages, including but not limited to, milk, milk fat, milk powder, milk proteins and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the dairy protein component may be, for example, cream, full cream milk, reduced fat milk, skim milk, condensed milk, full fat milk powder, skim milk powder, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing milk products. I n another embodiment, the dairy proteins component may be full fat milk powder, skim milk powder, or a combination thereof. Depending upon the dairy product and how it is processed, the amount of protein present can vary. For example, skim milk powder contains about 33-35 weight percent (wt%) protein, while full fat milk powder contains about 24-25 wt% protein on average. I n an embodiment, the preferred amount of the dairy protein component present in the beverage depends on the particular type of the dairy compound.

I n an embodiment, the dairy protein contained in the beverage is in an amount of about 0 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.5 to 3.6 wt%, 2.0 to 10 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage.

I n one embodiment, the dairy protein contained in the beverage is present in a n amount of about 0.1 to 6 wt%, 0.5 to 5 wt%, 1 to 4 wt%, 1.2 to 3.5 wt%, or 1.5 to 3 wt%, or 1.8 to 2.7 wt%, or for example, to about 1.9 wt%, 2.0 wt%, 2.1 wt%, 2.2 wt%, 2.3 wt%, 2.4 wt%, 2.5 wt%, or 2.6 wt% by weight of the beverage. I n a further em bodiment, the dairy protein contained in the beverage may be present in an amount of about 0.1 wt%, 0.2 %, 0.3 %, 0.4 %, 0.5 %, 0.6 %, 0.7 %, 0.8 %, 0.9 %, 1.0 %, 1.1 %, 1.2 %, 1.3 %, 1.35 %, 1.4 %, 1.45 %, 1.5 %, 1.55 %, 1.6 %, 1.65 %, 1.7 %, 1.75 %, 1.8 %, 1.85 %, 1.9 %, 1.95 %, or may be present in an amount of about 2.0 %, 2.05 %, 2.1 %, 2.15 %, 2.2 %, 2.25 %, 2.3 %, 2.35 %, 2.4 %, 2.45 %, 2.5 %, 2.55 %, 2.6 %, 2.65 %, 2.7 %, 2.75 %, 2.8 %, 2.85 %, 2.9 %, 2.95 %, 3.0 %, 3.05 %, 3.1 %, 3.15 %, 3.2 %, 3.25 %, 3.3 %, 3.35 %, 3.4 %, 3.45 %, 3.5 %, 3.55 %, 4 %, 4.5 %, 5 %, or 6 % by weight of the beverage.

The sta bilizer and/or emulsifier that is useful in the invention may be any agent that has the capability of stabilizing and/or emulsifying, preferably those suitable for food and beverages, such as plant protein beverages. The beverage of the invention may include one or more stabilizer and/or emulsifier.

The sta bilizer may be, but not limited to, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), xanthan gum, agar, acacia gum, alginic acid, carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, or any combination thereof, preferably carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), gellan gum, or carrageenan, or any combination thereof. The emulsifier may be, but not limited to, sodium caseinate, lecithin, C10-C18 fatty acid, fatty acid glyceryl ester, sucrose ester of fatty acid, monoglyceride, diglyceride, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, glyceryl monostearate, soybean phospholipid, or any combination thereof, preferably sodium caseinate, glyceryl monostearate, or any combination thereof.

In another embodiment, the stabilizer may be carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and carrageenan, and/or the emulsifier may be sodium caseinate, glyceryl monostearate.

The amount of stabilizer and/or emulsifier can be determined by a skilled artisan in the art, and may be about 0 to 2 wt%, 0 to 1 wt%, 0.2 to 0.8 wt%, 0.2 to 0.4 wt%, or 0.4 to 0.6 wt% by weight of the beverage, such as 0.2 to 0.3 wt% or 0.4 to 0.5 wt% by weight of the beverage.

The buffer that is useful in the invention may be any agent that has the capability of buffering, preferably those suitable for food and beverages, such as plant protein beverages. The beverage of the invention may include one or more buffers.

The buffer may be, but not limited to citrate, carbonate, bicarbonate, sorbate, gluconate, acetate, or phosphate, or any combination thereof, such as sodium salt, potassium salt, ammonium salt or calcium salt thereof, preferably sodium citrate, trisodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium phosphate (mono-, di- or tri basic), sodium tripolyphosphate, ammonium phosphate (mono- or dibasic), calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium phosphate (mono- or dibasic), potassium citrate, potassium phosphate (mono- or dibasic), or any combination thereof, more preferably sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, or any combination thereof.

The amount of the one or more buffers can be determined by a skilled artisan in the art according to his knowledge in the art, and may be about 0 to 0.3 wt%, 0 to 0.2 wt%, 0.01 to 0.2 wt%, 0.01 to 0.15 wt%, 0.01 to 0.1 wt%, 0.05 to 0.1 wt%, 0.1 to 0.2 wt%, or 0.1 to 0.15 wt% by weight of the beverage.

In another embodiment, the beverage may further include one or more vitamins. The vitamins include, but are not limited to, vitamin A, vitamin Bl (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyridoxamine, or pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B9 (folic acid), and vitamin Bi2 (various cobalamins, commonly cyanocobalamin in vitamin supplements), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, folic acid, biotin, choline, or a combination thereof. The vitamins may be present in the beverage in an amount from about 0.01% to about 0.5% of the beverage.

In another embodiment, the beverage according to the invention may further include one or more minerals, e.g., in an amount from about 0.0025% to about 1% by weight of the beverage. The minerals include, but are not limited to, calcium, magnesium, iron, or a combination thereof. The source of calcium can include calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, calcium citrate, other insoluble calcium compounds or a combination thereof. The source of magnesium can include magnesium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide or combination of thereof. The source of iron can include iron ammonium phosphate, ferric pyrophosphate, ferric phosphate, ferrous phosphate, other insoluble iron compounds, amino acids, iron chelating compounds such as EDTA, or combinations thereof. The minerals may also include zinc, iodine, copper, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, nickel, tin, silicon, vanadium and boron.

In one embodiment, the beverage according to the invention is fortified with solubilized calcium in the form of calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium oxide, or calcium hydroxide, for example. A food-grade acid can be added to the calcium fortified juice-based composition to improve the solubility of calcium. Exemplary food-grade acids suitable for use in the juice-based composition are further discussed herein, specifically citric acid, malic acid, and a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing food-grade acids.

In another embodiment, the beverage according to the invention may further comprise fat, which can be derived from the dairy component and/or plant component, or added as a separate component. The fat may be present in an amount of up to 6.0 wt%, or about 2.0 wt% to 5.0wt%, or about 2.0wt% to 4.0wt%, for example about 3.8wt% fat by weight of the beverage. In one embodiment, the fat in the beverage is derived from the dairy component and/or the plant component. In one embodiment, the beverage comprises no added fat. In another embodiment, the beverage comprises added fat.

The beverage according to the invention can contain a suitable amount of a liquid such as water, juice, coffee, tea component, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the liquid is present in an amount of up to about 99 wt% based on the total weight of the beverage, specifically about 0.1 to about 95 wt%, more specifically about 5.0 to about 90 wt%, and yet more specifically about 60 to about 85 wt%.

In another embodiment, the beverage can contain a juice-based composition obtained from fruit or vegetable. The juice-based composition can be used in any form such as a juice form, a concentrate, an extract, a powder (which can be reconstituted with water or other suitable liquids), or the like. Suitable juices used in the juice-based composition include, for example, citrus juice, non-citrus juice, or mixtures thereof, which are known for use in beverages. Examples of such juices include, non-citrus juices such as apple juice, grape juice, pear juice, nectarine juice, currant juice, raspberry juice, gooseberry juice, blackberry juice, blueberry juice, strawberry juice, custard-apple juice, pomegranate juice, guava juice, kiwi juice, mango juice, papaya juice, watermelon juice, cantaloupe juice, cherry juice, cranberry juice, peach juice, apricot juice, plum juice, and pineapple juice; citrus juices such as orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and tangerine juice; and vegetable juice such as carrot juice and tomato juice; and a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing juices. Unless otherwise indicated, juice as used can include fruit or vegetable liquids containing a percentage of solids derived from the fruit or vegetable, for example pulp, seeds, skins, fibers, and the like. The amount of solids in the juice composition can be about 1 to about 75 wt%, specifically about 5 to about 60 wt%, more specifically about 10 to about 45 wt%, and yet more specifically about 15 to about 30 wt% each based on the total weight of the juice.

In another embodiment, the beverage according to the invention may optionally include one or more additional ingredients such as, but not limited to, sweeteners, flavors, colorants, antioxidant, amino acids, caffeine, food-grade acids, micronutrients, preservatives, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, beverages disclosed herein may have a total solid of about 1-

40%, 5-30%, 10-25%, 12% to 22%, or 13% to 21%, or 15% to 20%, or 15% to 18% by weight of the beverage. The preferable amount of the total solid present in the present beverage may depend on the particular type of the plant component used in the beverage.

The beverage of the invention is a shelf-stable beverage. In another embodiment, the beverage of the invention is a shelf-stable ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage. In another embodiment, the beverage is a RTD beverage shelf-stable at ambient temperature. For example, the shelf-life of the beverage can be at least 9 months at ambient temperature, or at least 6 months at 4°C.

EXAMPLES

By way of example and not limitation, the following examples are illustrative of various embodiments of the present invention. In all the examples, concentrations of ingredients are given as w/w% based on the whole product formulation.

Example 1 - Plant protein Beverages A, B, C and D according to the invention

Table 1 shows the non-limiting examples of plant protein beverages obtained by the process of the present invention. The ingredients are listed with amounts expressed in weight percentage based on the total weight of the beverage.

Table 1: Plant protein beverages A, B, C and D according to the invention

Ingredients Beverage A Beverage B Beverage C Beverage D

(w/w%) (w/w%) (w/w%) (w/w%)

Peanut paste 3.0 3.0 0 0

Other nut paste 0 0 3.0 3.0

Skimmed milk powder 1.0 0 1.0 0

Stabilizer/ Stabilizer (CMC, Xanthan gum) 0.2 n/a n/a

Emulsifier Monoglyceride 0.08

Casein sodium 0.16

Buffer Sodium phosphate dibasic 0.04 n/a n/a

Potassium citrate 0.08

Sodium hexametaphosphate 0.04

Sugar 8.0 8.0

Flavor 0.06 0.06

Sodium chloride 0.03 0.03

Water Add to 100 Add to 100 Add to 100 Add to 100

Total 100 100 100 100 Nut paste, such as peanut paste, was produced by finely grinding roasted nuts with stone mill. Beverage A: containing peanut paste and dairy protein. Beverage B: containing peanut paste, but no dairy protein. Beverage C: containing other plant protein and dairy protein. Beverage D: containing other plant protein, but no dairy protein

Beverage A was prepared by the following procedure:

(1) Dissolve lOg skimmed milk powder in milk solution tank with lOOg RO (reverse osmosis) water at 65°C under sufficient stirring, and stand for ageing for 30 min, thereby obtaining a milk solution.

(2) Add 2.0g stabilizer, 0.8g monoglyceride and 1.6g casein sodium into 500g water at 85°C in a high speed mixing tank, stirring the mixture firstly at shearing rate of 22000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 15000 with Silverson L4RT High Shearing Laboratory Mixer, thereby obtaining a homogenous stabilizer and emulsifier solution.

(3) Add 30g peanut paste, 0.4g sodium phosphate dibasic, 0.8g potassium citrate 0.08 sodium chloride, 0.4g sodium hexametaphosphate into another high speed mixing tank, mix with the milk solution from step (1) and stabilizer solution from step(2) sequentially and shear process the resulting mixture at shearing rate of 55000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 75000 with Silverson L4RT High Shearing Laboratory Mixer, thereby obtaining an emulsified solution.

(4) Dissolve 80 g granulated sugar with hot water at 65 °C to yield a sugar solution, and add the resulting sugar solution into the emulsified solution from step (3) to a final volume of 1000 mL. Then add 0.6g peanut flavor and stir the final solution at shearing rate of 22000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 15000.

(5) Homogenizing by means of two stages (Stage 1: 30MPa/6MPa, and Stage 2: 20MPa/5MPa )

(6) Subject the homogenized solution from step (5) to ultra-high temperature (UHT) at 360°C for 30sec with a flow rate of 400L/h, yielding Beverage A.

Beverage B was prepared in analogy to the procedure described for Beverage A, except omitting step (1) and the addition of the milk solution in step (3).

Beverage C was prepared in analogy to the procedure described for Beverage A, except replacing the peanut paste with other plant protein. Beverage D was prepared in analogy to the procedure described for Beverage A, except replacing the peanut paste with other plant protein and omitting step (1) and the addition of the milk solution in step (3)

The resultant Beverages A, B, C and D are homogeneous and milk-like.

Example 2 - Model recipes for high shearing processing study

Model recipes were prepared by 3% peanut paste dispersing in skim milk, and then processed with different shearing rate and shearing loading on the purpose to study high shearing impact on the creaming and sedimentation stability of protei n beverage. It is noted that there is no additive such as Stabilizer, Emulsifier or Sweeter in the model recipes, so that we can investigate the effect of high shearing processing on the mixture of plant protein and dairy protein per se, without being influenced by any additives.

The model recipes were prepared by the following procedures:

(1) Weigh 90g peanut paste in 910g skim milk solution, stir at shearing rate of 22000 s ^_1 and shearing loading ranged 20000-40000 to obtain homogeneous dispersion.

(2) Divide lOOOg dispersion into 5 portions, 150g for each portion and dilute to 3% peanut milk with 300g skim milk, proceed each portion with different shearing rate ranged from 30000-60000 s^_1 and shearing loading ranged from 60000-225000.

(3) Filter shearing processed sample through 150 mic mesh, obtain the filtrate to assess the stability.

Example 3 -Stability test of model recipes and plant protein beverages Al, A2, Gl, G2 and E according to the invention

I n order to prove the improvement of the inventive process, a serial of model recipe formulations were prepared in analogy to the procedures described for Model recipes, except that the shearing rate and shearing time were modified. Also, a serial of beverages were prepared in analogy to the procedures described for Beverage A, except that the shearing rate and shearing time were modified and the UHT treatment was omitted.

Beverages Al, A2, Gl, G2 and E are based on the recipe of the Beverage A as described above, but the amounts or types of some additives in Beverages G2 and E are adjusted. Table 2 shows the ingredients in those beverages. The ingredients are listed with amounts expressed in weight percentage of the beverage.

1. LUMiSizer analysis

Stability of the samples was determined using LUMiSizer dispersion analyzer (L.U.M.,

Berlin, Germany) under the accelerated conditions at 500-4000rpm for 5hrs at 25 °C. The LUMiSizer^® multisample analytical centrifuge (L. U.M. GmbH, Berlin, Germany) used in this study employed space- and time-resolved extinction profile technology (STEP™-Technology), enabling simultaneous measurement of the intensity of the transmitted light as a function of time and position over the entire sample length. The data are displayed as a function as the distance from the center of rotation to the position within the sample. All measurements were conducted at 25 °C with SOP developed internally.

Table 2. Plant protein beverages Al, A2, Gl, G2 and E according to the invention

Ingredients Beverage Al, A2, Beverage G2 Beverage E

Gl (w/w%) (w/w%) (w/w%)

Peanut paste 3.0 3.0 3.0

Skimmed milk powder 1.0 1.0 1.0

Stabilizer/ Stabilizer (CMC, Stabilizer (CMC, Stabilizer (CMC,

Emulsifier xanthan gum) 0.2 xanthan gum) 0.1 xanthan gum) 0.2

Monoglyceride 0.08 Monoglyceride 0.04

Casein sodium 0.16 Casein sodium 0.08

Buffer Sodium phosphate dibasic 0.04

Potassium citrate 0.08

Sodium hexametaphosphate 0.04

Sugar 8.0 8.0 8.0

Peanut flavor 0.06 0.06 0.06

Sodium chloride 0.03 0.03 0.03

Water Add to 100 Add to 100 Add to 100

Total 100 100 100 2. Stability data

Model recipes

Model recipes apply 5 clean recipes (without additives such as Stabilizer, Emulsifier or Sweetener) which comprise 3% peanut paste and 97% skim milk, processing with different high shearing loading ranged from 60000-225000, the stability data are provided in the below table:

Table 3. The stability data of Model recipes

Beverages Al, A2, Gl, G2

Beverage Al applies the reference recipe (stabilizer 0.2, Monoglyceride 0.08, and

Casein sodium 0.16) as emulsifier/stabilizer at shearing rate of 22000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 30000;

Beverage A2 applies the reference recipe as emulsifier/stabilizer at shearing rate of 40000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 55000;

Beverage Gl applies the reference recipe as emulsifier/stabilizer at shearing rate of

55000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 75000;

Beverage G2 applies half amount of the reference recipe (stabilizer 0.1, Monoglyceride 0.04, and Casein sodium 0.08) as emulsifier/stabilizer at shearing rate of 55000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 75000; Beverage E applies only stabilizer 0.2 as stabilizer at shearing rate of 55000 s ¹ and shearing loading of 75000;

The above beverages were tested in a LUMiSizer dispersion analyzer and the stability data thereof were provided in the Table 4 below:

Table 4. Stability data of Beverages Al, A2, Gl, G2 and E

3. Discussion

Creaming and sedimentation are the key factors that have adverse effect on the stability of plant protein beverages. The formation of creaming is substantially due to the instability of emulsion and the density of fat being less than water. The formation of precipitate is substantially due to the physical sedimentation of large particles of the plant protein paste in early phase and to the aggregation of protein in later phase, the effect of early phase being predominant.

It is known that the absolute value of creaming velocity (μιη/s) can be an indication of the stability of emulsion. A higher absolute value of creaming velocity means a faster speed of creaming and then a faster speed of losing the stability of emulsion. The high shearing treatment of the present invention advantageously decreases the creaming effect of the product.

As shown in Table 3, when the shearing rate is low (30000 s^"1), even if we elongate the shearing time to allow the shearing loading reaching 120000, the creaming velocity is still very high (22.37 μιη/s). When we raise the shearing rate, even the shearing loading of 15000 can significantly reduce the creaming velocity (4.205 μιη/s). When the shearing rate is above 50000 s ¹ and the shearing loading is above 60000, the creaming velocity is very low, even being close to zero.

As shown in Table 4, Beverage Gl shows a creaming velocity of 3.815 μιη/s, while Beverages Al and A2 show a creaming velocity of 4.063 and 4.056 μιη/s respectively, suggesting that a high shearing processing enhances the stability of beverages. Moreover, the creaming velocities of Beverage G2 and E are comparable to that of Beverage Gl, suggesting that the high shearing treatment of the present invention renders the beverage with decreased amount and/or types of emulsifier/stabilizer having a comparable or even longer shelf life than the conventional beverage. Therefore, we can reduce the ingredient list on the label of the product (clean label) and still maintain the stability of the product. Importantly, such a clean label will not cause the consumer negative linking with non-natural and over- processing food.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such change modifications be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A process for preparing a beverage comprising plant proteins, wherein said process comprises the step of stirring a mixture comprising a plant protein component and water at a shearing rate equal to or greater than 43000 s ¹ and with a shearing loading equal to or greater than 15000.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture further comprises a dairy protein component, and optionally comprises a stabilizer and/or an emulsifier.

3. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stirring is performed with a shearing rate of 43000 s ¹ to 100000 s^"1, preferably 45000 s ¹ to 90000 s^"1, more preferably 50000 s ¹ to 80000 s ¹, such as 45000 s ¹, 50000 s ¹, 55000 s ¹, 60000 s ¹, 65000 s ¹, 70000 s ¹, 75000 s ¹, 80000 s ¹, 85000 s ¹, 90000 s ¹, 95000 s ¹ or 100000 s ¹.

4. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stirring is performed with a shearing loading of 15000 to 300000, preferably 15000 to 250000, more preferably 60000 to 225000, such as 20000, 30000, 40000, 50000, 60000, 70000, 80000, 90000, 100000, 125000, 150000, 175000, 200000, 225000, 250000, 275000, or 300000.

5. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said process comprises the steps of:

(1) mixing a plant protein component with a dairy protein component, in water, to yield a mixture; and

(2) stirring the mixture obtained from step (1) at shearing rate of 51000 s ¹ with shearing loading of 15000-225000, to produce an emulsified solution.

6. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the step (1), a stabilizer and/or an emulsifier and/or one or more buffers, in solid form or in the form of aqueous solution are added to the mixture.

7. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said process further comprises one or more of the following steps:

(3) dissolving sugar in water to produce a sugar solution, mixing the emulsified solution obtained from step (2) with the sugar solution, and stirring the resulting solution; (4) homogenizing the solution obtained from step (3);

(5) sterilizing the solution obtained from step (4); and

8. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stabilizer is selected from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), agar, acacia gum, alginic acid, carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, or any combination thereof, preferably carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), gellan gum or carrageenan, or any combination thereof, preferably the stabilizer is selected from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), gellan gum or carrageenan, or any combination thereof; and wherein the emulsifier is selected from sodium caseinate, lecithin, Cio-Cis fatty acid, fatty acid glyceryl ester, sucrose ester of fatty acid, monoglyceride, diglyceride, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, glyceryl monostearate, soybean phospholipid, or any combination thereof, preferably sodium caseinate, glyceryl monostearate, or any combination thereof, preferably the emulsifier is selected from sodium caseinate, glyceryl monostearate, or any combination thereof .

9. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stabilizer and/or the emulsifier is in an amount of 0 to 2 wt%, 0 to 1 wt%, 0.2 to 0.8 wt%, 0.2 to 0.4 wt%, or 0.4 to 0.6 wt% by weight of the beverage, such as 0.2 to 0.3 wt% or 0.4 to 0.5 wt% by weight of the beverage.

10. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the component containing a plant protein is derived from one or more plant materials rich in protein, for example plant seeds or plant nuts, such as rice, oat, wheat, corn, lupin, pea, microalgae, quinoa, canola, potato, peanut, sunflower, pistache, walnut, almond, hazelnut, coco nut and the like.

11. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the component containing a plant protein is particle, powder, paste, slurry or extract from one or more plant materials rich in protein, for example plant seed or nut, such as rice, oat, wheat, corn, lupin, pea, microalgae, quinoa, canola, potato, peanut, sunflower, pistache, walnut, almond, hazelnut, coco nut and the like.

12. A beverage obtainable by the process according to any one of claims 1 to 11, for example, said beverage may be in the form of concentrate, powder, or liquid beverage, such as ready-to-drink beverage.

13. The beverage according to claim 12, wherein the dairy protein component is in an amount of about 0 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.5 to 3.6 wt%, 2.0 to 10 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage and/or wherein the plant protein is in an amount of about 0.1 to 20 wt%, 0.2 to 18 wt%, 0.35 to 17 wt%, 0.5 to 10 wt%, 0.55 to 3.6 wt%, 0.8 to 10 wt%, 2 to 15 wt%, or 5 to 10 wt% by weight of the beverage.

14. A package comprising the beverage according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the beverage is provided as a liquid in one or more separate containers, or is provided in the form of dry powder or concentrate which can be reconstituted in water to yield a liquid beverage.